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Research

Unpacking the complex nature of the autism epidemic

This paper discusses changes in diagnostic criteria, decreasing age at diagnosis, improved case ascertainment, diagnostic substitution, and social influences.

Research

Adult psychosocial outcomes of children with specific language impairment, pragmatic language impairment and autism

Evidence that some children also develop autistic symptomatology over time has raised suggestions that developmental language disorder...

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Sibling’s likelihood of autism diagnosis impacted by age gap, study finds

The Curtin University research in collaboration with The Kids Research Institute Australia, published in Autism Research, investigated more than 925,000 births in Denmark, Finland and Sweden.

Research

Autism

Characterised by varying degrees of difficulties in communication skills and social abilities, one in every 100 individuals will have a diagnosis of an autism spectrum condition. While autism is known to run in families, the exact causes remain unknown.

Research

Characterising Insistence on Sameness and Circumscribed Interests: A Qualitative Study of Parent Perspectives

Manifestations of insistence on sameness and circumscribed interests are complex, with individuals varying considerably, not only in the types of behaviours they express, but also in terms of a behaviour's frequency, intensity, trajectory, adaptive benefits, and impacts.

Research

A pilot evaluation of school-based LEGO robotics therapy for autistic students

There is emerging evidence that LEGO® therapy is an effective way of supporting younger autistic children develop their communication and social skills. LEGO® robotics therapy - which uses the principles of LEGO® therapy applied to LEGO® robotics - may be an age-appropriate intervention to reduce anxiety and increase social skills in autistic adolescents.

Research

Assessing Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours in Online-Sampled Autistic and Non-autistic Individuals: Factor Structure of the Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire for Adults (RBQ-2A)

The Repetitive Behaviours Questionnaire for Adults (RBQ-2A) measures two factors of restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRBs) associated with autism. However, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) provides four criteria for RRBs: repetitive motor behaviours, insistence on sameness, restricted interests, and interest in sensory aspects of the environment (or atypical sensitivity).

Research

Intellectual disabilities and autism among children with congenital heart defects, Western Australia, 1983–2010

Children with congenital heart defects (CHDs) are at higher risk of developing an intellectual disability. However, severity of intellectual disabilities among this group of children are largely unknown. Our objective was to determine the risk of intellectual disability (ID), ID severity, and autism among children with CHDs.

Research

Hospitalisation rates for children with intellectual disability or autism born in Western Australia 1983-1999: A population-based cohort study

ID and/or ASD were found to be associated with an increased risk of hospitalisation compared with the remainder of the population.